One way clutch for governors

ABSTRACT

A ONE WAY CLUTCH WHICH PERMITS A GOVERNOR SPRING TO BE TENSIONED UPON ROTATION OF A SHAFT IN THE GOVERNOR CONTROL LINKAGE BUT PREVENTS MOVEMENT OF THE CONTROL LINKAGE BY ENERGY STORED IN THE GOVERNOR SPRING, THE SHAFT IN THE CONTROL LINKAGE HAS A DISC AT ITS END WITH A DIAMETRICALLY DISPOSED GROOVE, A SECOND AND COAXIAL SHAFT HAS A FLAT END WHICH EXTENDS ACROSS SAID GROOVE. THE DISC IS WITHIN AN ANNULAR DRUM AND SHOES IN THE GROOVES EXTEND BETWEEN THE DRUM AND THE FLAT END OF THE SHAFT. WHEN THE GOVERNOR CONTROL LINKAGE IS ACTUATED TO ROTATE THE DISCS, THE SHOES   IMPART ROTATION TO THE FLAT END BUT WHEN THE GOVERNOR SPRING TENDS TO ROTATE THE FLAT END IT URGES THE SHOES OUTWARDLY INTO BRAKING CONTACT WITH THE DRUM.

Oct. 19, 1971 J. T. HAMMOND 3,613,460

ONE WAY CLUTCH FOR GOVERNORS Filed Oct. 2, 1969 INVENTOR JAMES T. HAMMOND 7 O 4 E n"'rom mus Patented Oct. 19, 1971 hoe 3,613,460 ONE WAY CLUTCH FOR GOVERNORS James T. Hammond, Tremont, Ill., assignor to Caterpillar Tractor Co., Peoria, Ill. Filed Oct. 2, 1969, Ser. No. 863,124 Int. Cl. Gd 13/16 [1.55. CI. 73-543 3 Claims ABSTRACT OF THE DISCLOSURE A one way clutch which permits a governor spring to be tensioned upon rotation of a shaft in the governor control linkage but prevents movement of the control linkage by energy stored in the governor spring, the shaft in the control linkage has a disc at its end with a diametrically disposed groove, a second and coaxial shaft has a flat end which extends across said groove. The disc is within an annular drum and shoes in the grooves extend between the drum and the fiat end of the shaft. When the governor control linkage is actuated to rotate the discs, the shoes impart rotation to the flat end but when the governor spring tends to rotate the flat end, it urges the shoes outwardly into braking contact with the drum.

Many governors have one way clutches or locking mechanisms to prevent the governor spring from urging the control linkage out of the position at which it has been set. The mechanisms employed for this purpose are generally quite complicated and requires close tolerances which make their manufacture costly. It is an object of the present invention to provide a one way clutch for governors of very simple construction and with little requirement for close tolerances. Further objects of the invention and the manner in which it is carried into practice are made apparent in the following specification wherein it is described in detail by reference to the accompanying drawing.

In the drawing:

FIG. 1 is a fragmentary view taken on the line I I of FIG. 2 showing a portion of a governor housing with a governor spring and flyweights therein and also a portion of the control linkage which is manually actuated for establishing the preload of the governor spring;

FIG. 2 is a fragmentary view in section taken along the line IIII of FIG. 1; and

FIG. 3 is a schematic view illustrating some of the parts shown in FIG. 1 and diagramming forces which take place when energy in the governor spring is directed toward the governor control linkage.

Since the invention is directed particularly to a one way clutch which is adapted for use in a governor, only those basic parts of the governor which have direct effect upon the operation of the clutch are shown. Since the governor is one conventional and well-known form, further details of its construction would serve no purpose in the present description.

Referring first to FIG. 1, a portion of a governor is shown as having conventional flyweights pivoted as at 12 and associated with a governor spring 14 and a fuel control element generally referred to as a rack bar 16. To increase engine speed a lever having a bifurcated end 18 in engagement with a spring retainer or seat 20 is swung to the right or in a counterclockwise direction as illustrated in the drawing to compress the spring 14 and increase its preload, the effect of which is to move the rack bar 16 toward a high fuel position, all in a wellknown manner. The movement of the rack is stopped when the increased engine speed produces centrifugal force to move the flyweights 10 outwardly about their pivots 12 counterbalancing the force of the spring and holding the rack bar against further movement toward the right.

The lever 18 is carried by an angularly adjustable shaft 22, a portion of which is shown in FIG. 2 and which has an end 24 having at least one but preferably two flat sides, also shown in FIG. 1. Adjustment of the shaft 22 and lever 18 is accomplished by fuel control linkage also of conventional construction which includes a lever 26, partially shown in FIG. 2, on a shaft 28.

The present invention is concerned particularly with the connection between the shaft 28 and the shaft 22 which forms a one way clutch permitting adjustment of preload on the governor spring by manipulations of the control linkage but preventing the energy stored in the governor spring from altering the position of the control linkage. To accomplish this, the end of the shaft 28 of the control mechanism has a disc 30 formed thereon. The disc is contained in a drum 32 which is fixed to the wall of the governor housing as by cap screws 34. The disc 30 has a slot 36 extending transversely through its center and the slot 36 carries a pair of shoes 38 extending between the internal surface of the drum 32 and the flat sides of the end 24 of the shaft 22. The end 24 is disposed in a bore 40 formed centrally of the disc 30 and intercepting the slot 36.

In operation, actuation of lever 26 to rotate shaft 28 in either direction, carries the disc and shoes 38 with the shaft and the ends of the shoes, in abutment with the flattened end 24 impart rotation to the shaft 22. The energy stored in the compressed spring 14 tends to urge the lever 18 in a clockwise direction and to rotate its shaft 24. Rotation of shaft 24 is prevented and cannot be transmitted through the disc 30 and shaft 28 to the governor control linkage. Forces preventing such rotation are illustrated in FIG. 3 by arrows a. In FIG. 3, it is clear that any clockwise rotation of the flattened end 24 of shaft 22 imparts pressure on the shoes 38 in the direction of the arrows thus urging the outer ends of the shoes into braking contact with the internal surface of the drum 32.

Any tendency of the lever 18 to move in a counterclockwise direction from forces occurring within the governor would simply result in reversal of the angular disposition of the force arrows, again causing a braking effect. Forces in this direction are however unlikely to occur in governors of the type herein shown.

What is claimed is:

1. A one way clutch for governor controls in which governor control linkage includes two co-axial angularly adjustable shaft means a first of said shaft means being manually adjustable and having an end portion presenting at least one flat surface, the second of said shaft means having a disc-like end with a radial slot means, a stationary drum means surrounding said disc-like end, said flat surface extending into said slot means and shoe means in said slot means extending between said fiat surface and an inner surface of said drum means, said disclike end and said flat surface being out of direct engagement at all times, whereby upon manual rotation the second shaft means will impart rotation to the first shaft means by direct engagement between said slot means and said shoe means and by direct engagement between said shoe means and said flat surface, but upon rotation of the first shaft means said flat surface will act directly upon said shoe means and will impart a radially outward force on said shoe means to place it in braking contact with said inner surface of the drum means to prevent movement of said disc-like end.

2. The one way clutch defined in claim 1 in which the second shaft means is actuated manually and the first shaft means is connected with and subjected to energy stored in said governor.

3 4 3. The one way clutch defined in claim 1 in which 1,154,508 9/1915 Grausmuller. the first shaft means has two diametrically opposed paral- 2,678,816 5/ 1954 Armstrong 73-543 X lel flat surfaces, the disc-like end of the second shaft 2,995,936 8/1961 Heinzmann 73-543 X means has a radial slot means extending through its diameter, and two shoes means in said radial slot means each 5 FOREIGN TE having an end abutting one of said flat surfaces and an 5/ 1944 Great Brltaln 1928 nd b tt' ad 11 f f 'd d um 11 e a u mg s 1 1 ner sur ace 0 sa1 r mea s JAMES J- GILLPrimary Examiner References Cited UNITED STATES PATENTS 1O 92 45 1 905,912 12/1908 Nehring 1928 998,852 7/1911 Lagergren 1928 US. Cl. X.R. 

